It's Molly's first day at secondary school and she's nervous, to put it mildly. No one at her first primary school would talk to her, and transferring to a co-ed school at Year 4 was only a slight improvement. (Anne of Green Gables had a best friend. Why can't I have a best friend?)
Shunned yet again, Molly is glad she brought a book to lunch. She's absorbed in Pride and Prejudice and jumps a mile when a girl sits next to her and says, "Hi."
Molly looks up and sees a tall brunette with a copy of Emma resting on her lunch tray. Molly shyly says hello. The other girl introduces herself as Regina, and the two of them begin chatting. In addition to a love of Jane Austen, the girls discover that they have several classes in common. Soon, the girls become daily lunch partners and chat on the phone most nights.
A few weeks later, they spend a Saturday evening at Regina's house watching The Princess Bride. After the movie ends, Regina asks Molly if she wants to be best friends.
"As you wish," she replies, and both of them burst into giggles.
Molly's greatest fear is that this won't last.